You are welcome and I hope you get relief. It can be a long time though: I remember sitting 6 months after the accident on the edge of my chair in the office work with my back absolutely straight. Then I had the ischias attack. After that I can't remember how it was because my horse was having issues with its hooves and that was more important at the time I guess... But when I went to see the doctor, after suffering many days of the ischiatic attack, i remember she said, when I struggled to get on the examination bed, that I should take on aerobics. She was looking at the cellulite on my tights apparently. I was struck dumb. So much so that after that I have not seen a doctor about my back pain ever again, or even mentioned it to anyone but now... And have gotten along quite ok. Altough I have not taken up aerobics (LOL) I have mucked off hundres of boxes and ridden many horses, and fallen off again, too. Pain in itself is not dangerous unless it gets worse and if you lose function.
I don't however recommend to you to get back to real rigorous labor work, because had I been more easy with that I think my back would serve me better now.... I estimate I will get some more serious problems in my later years (if God allows me to see them that is). So be careful about yours and strenghten the core. (Love thyself!)
I also have over mobile joints. I think that it is important to keep the muscles strong and big, because they stabilize the joints. Streching of the muscles and joints too much I do not recommend. They give in at the wrong places, at the ligaments if they get streched, and there is more stress to the joint itself in the long run, compared to normal people.
I find my stiffness goes away best with excercise. The muscles bulge up because of the improved blood flow and circulation, and when they bulge up, they "tighten" the ligaments going over the joints. That in turn stabilizes the joints and there is less unwanted movement and the musces can stay relaxed when they don't need to use themselves so much to stabilize the joint. That way the muscles can relax and become less stiff generally. Of course movement itself takes the stiffness away taking away via improved blood flow as the debris and other sfuff like lactate adic goes out of the muscles. Moving is a daily thing to do to me and the only painless moment on some days.
I was using morphine after an another accident, and what it did to me was to make me really weak in my muscles. I did not realise or know it at the time. I remember that after two weeks on morphine I was hardly able to take the dog out the first time and walk it round the corner. I had to lean on a tree I felt so weak. I later learned morphine can do that, it makes muscles weak. Also, when I stopped taking it I got slight fever as a withdrawal symptom (oh yeah I was a junkie and did not know it!). Then the doctors thought I had a bacterial infection in the wound but nothing was found in the cultures. So maybe it does not have these effects on you but maybe good to remember this if you kind of "deterioriate". (Lower back pain does not make you feel a weakling overall)
Thus I think that taking morphine and at the same time working on strengtht might not be that simple but challenging. (Maybe you could ask for reumozol instead that they give to horses, or something else).
The positive thing about my problems is that I've kind of gotten to terms with the fact that I won't be an ""Olympic level"" rider ( this is joke: I ever never was to be so on technical level as I'm not talented, but there still was the Olympic level "want" to be as good as possible, if you know what I mean, and for the art of it, not for the competitive side), so this passion for horses has eased a bit. They used to mean everything to me. Life is easier now that it is not so. There is less frustration over that I just cannot train and ride so much as I would like. This has been teaching me the skill of letting go. You see, I'm kind of black and white: either it is everything or then nothing. I'm coming to terms with the option of nothing, and what is positive, it that it does not hurt so much, anymore.
At the moment I'm starting to look in other directions and stuff to be passionate about. That is my challenge now. It is quite difficult to find a cause worthy enough to put in all my energy.
It was nice "talking" to you. Be "patient" about the back problems. It can take a while to sort out. I wish you all the best and good luck!
All the best to Joe too, that is a tough job to handle, rehabilitation like that. Hope you have a good team to support you.